Machine for treating textile thread



May 9, 1967 R. c. JAEGGLI MACHINE FOR TREATING TEXTILE THREAD FiledSept. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY May 9, 1967 R. c. JAEGGLIMACHINE FOR TREATING TEXTILE THREAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16,1964 IN VENTOR. RUDOLF 6 JA E6 @u ATTORNEY United States Patent3,317,980 MACHINE FOR TREATING TEXTILE THREAD Rudolf C. Jaeggli,Winterthur, Switzerland, assignor to Rieter Machine Works, Ltd.,Winterthur, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Sept. 16,1964, Ser. No. 396,890 Claims. (Cl. 2871.3)

The present invention relates to machines for producing endless threads,such as drafting-twisting, drafting-winding and spinning-drafting andwinding machines wherein the moving thread or thread bunch is heated.

Conventional means for heating the running thread are in the form ofheated drafting rollers or heating elements slidingly contacted by thethread and interposed between the drafting rollers. Also used areheating tubes or plates which heat the thread by radiation and do notmake contact therewith. Since the peripheral speed of drafting rollersis quite great, considerable heat is transferred by convection from theheated drafting rollers to the invironment so that the desired hightemperature of the surface of the drafting rollers and of the threadrunning thereon can only be maintained by expending a great amount ofheat. The hot drafting rollers considerably heat up the environment sothat the absolutely necessary conditioning of the space containing thecreeling and winding zone is difficult. In spite of great atmosphereconditioning efforts, local, minor heat variations alongside themachines are unavoidable which is of particular disadvantage whenproducing yarn to be dyed because it makes uniform dyeing difficult.

The air whirl generated by the heated drafting roller cools the threadrunning to the reversing roller and coo-1s also this reversing roller sothat the thread is cooled before entering the drafting zone proper.

It is an object of the invention to provide draftingtwisting machines,and the like, wherein the thread material is heated in the drafting orrelaxation zone by heated, rotatable threaded-guiding elements andwhereby the aforedescribed disadvantages of conventional machines ofthis type are avoided.

According to the invention the heated rotatable thread guide elementsare placed inside stationary housing means which may be provided withmovable parts for opening the housing means and providing access to therotatable elements.

In an embodiment according to the invention a plurality of rotatablethread guide means are individually enclosed, each enclosure including amovable part for opening the enclosure and actuating means are providedfor simultaneously moving the movable parts of a group of enclosures forsimultaneously opening and closing all enclosures of the group. Theactuating means may be so constructed as to permit opening of individualenclosures without opening the other enclosures.

The housing means are preferably provided with sluice means formingpassages allowing thread material to enter and leave the housing meansand inhibiting exchange of gaseous matter at the inside and the outsideof the housing means.

In an embodiment of the invention the housing means is provided withmeans supplying atmosphere-conditioning media to and releasing the mediafrom the housing means. The supply means preferably include valve meansoperatively connected to the parts affording opening of the housingmeans for simultaneously closing the valve means when the housing meansis opened, and vice versa.

The housing means according to the invention may be so constructed as toenclose a plurality of heated rotatable thread guide elements and alsoone or more stationary heating means, if stationary heating means arepresent in the thread-treating machine.

The novel features which are considered characteristic of the inventionare set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, however, and additional objects and advantages thereof will bestbe understood from the following description of embodiments thereof whenread in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the drafting and winding zoneof a conventional drafting and twisting machine.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a spinning, drafting andwinding machine equipped according'to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic, part-sectional side view of a housingarrangement for drafting rollers in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic end view of the housing arrangement shown inFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic top view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3,with the housing units closed.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic top view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3,with the housing units in open position.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic side view of a drafting zone having rotatableand stationary heating elements which are enclosed in a common housingaccording to the invention.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a detail of the arrangement shown in FIGS. 3 to7.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 8, thesection being made along line IX- IX of FIG. 8.

In the conventional arrangement shown in FIG. 1 a continuously suppliedthread bunch 1 shown by a dashdot line and consisting of one or moreendless fibrils and henceforth called thread moves around a draftingroller 2 and thereafter around a reversing roller 3 and again around thedrafting roller wherefrom the thread moves through a drafting zone 4.The latter is often provided with a heater 5. The thread is pulledfromthe drafting zone by means of a drafting roller 6 rotating more quicklythan roller 2 and having a reversing roller '7 associated therewith. Thethread is then supplied to a twisting spindle 8 for producing twist andwinding the thread. The drafting rollers 2 and 6 may be provided withheating elements 5. t I

In the spinning, drafting and winding machine shown in FIG. 2 a threadbunch 10 emerging from a spinning nozzle 9 is conducted around a roller11 which may be heated and is drawn by means of a drafting roller 12having a greater circumferential speed than the roller 11. After leavingthe roller 12 the thread moves through a relaxation zone which may beheated and is withdrawn therefrom by a roller 13 having somewhat lesscircumferential speed and thereafter wound without twisting by means ofa conventional winding device driven, for example, by a friction roller14.

FIG. 4 shows a housing arrangement according to the invention formachines of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A gearbox 15 part of whichis shown in FIG. 4 is placed alongside the machine and carries by meansof a bearing element 16 a plurality of driven drafting rollers 17 eachof which is associated with a freely rotating reversing roller 18 (FIG.3) around which a thread 19 is wound in several windings. A heatingelement 20 is accommodated in the rollers 17. Each roller 17 with itsassociated roller 18 is placed in a housing 21 whose rear wall 22 andside wall 23 are rigidly connected to the bearing element 16 (FIGS. 5and 6). The opposite side wall 24, the top wall 25, the bottom wall 26and the front wall 26' form a housing unit 27 which is swingablyconnected to the element 16.

To provide passage for the thread 19 into and out of the housing, slotsare provided between the top wall 25 and the bottom wall 26 formed bythe unit 27 and the side wall 23. The slots are provided with a threadsluice 28 consisting substantially of two opposite antistatic skin orplush cushions which permit easy passage of the thread but providesufiicient seal to prevent passage of gas or vapor. A vertical bolt 29and a lever 30 are rigidly connected to each swingable unit 27. The freeends of the levers 30 are provided with slots 31 individuallyaccommodating pins 32 which are rigidly connected to an actuating rail33. There is a pin 32 for each lever 30. Longitudinal movement of therail 33 causes swinging of all housing units 27 and permits access toall drafting rollers.

In order to permit inspection of individual drafting rollers withoutopening the housings of the other drafting rollers, a mechanism isprovided which is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Each pin 32 is movable in aslot 34 which is parallel with the rail 33 and provided in an attachmentto said rail. A circular sliding element 36 is mounted on each pin 32and capable of sliding in a slideway 35. A pin 37 placed below the rail33 is mounted on the pin 32 and placed normal thereto. The pin 37 isslidable in a bore 38 in a rotatable bushing 39. A helical spring 41wound around the pin 37 tends to hold the pin 32 at one of the ends ofthe slot 34. By overcoming the pressure of the spring 40 each housingunit 27 can be opened without longitudinally moving the rail 33.

For conditioning the inside of the housings for the drafting rollersconduits 41 are provided which are connected to a conduit 42 (FIG. 4)which conducts a medium for controlling the atmosphere inside thehousings. The medium is returned through conduits 43 to a suctionchannel 44. To avoid escape of the medium when opening a housing unit 27and to avoid an undesired change of the ambient climate exchange of themedia inside and outside the housing when opening the housing a valve 45is provided in the conduits 41 and 43. The valve 45 is provided with avalve stem 46 (FIGS. and 6) which is operatively connected to the lever39 for movement to the right, for closing supply conduit 41, against thepressure of a suitable spring when a housing unit is opened.

FIG. 7 illustrates an arrangement according to the invention whereby anentire drafting Zone together with its heating means is separated fromthe ambient atmosphere. The housing unit is enlarged in a downwarddirection so as to enclose an upper pair of rollers 47 and a lower pairof rollers 49 as well as a heater 48 therebetween. The mechanism foropening and closing the housing unit and the means for controlling thesupply and release of climate conditioning media by a valve 5t) which isactuated whenever the housing unit is opened or closed are like those ofthe arrangement shown in FIGS. 3 to 6.

The spinning, drafting and winding machine shown in FIG. 2 can besimilarly equipped whereby a housing unit 51 is provided as shown indash-dot lines in FIG. 2 which may enclose three drafting rollers 11, 12and 13. If desired, the enclosed space may be divided into severalcompartments by means of separating walls 52.

I claim:

1. In a machine for treating textile thread material and including meansfor drafting thread material and heated rotatable guide elements forguiding and heating thread material:

stationary housing means surrounding said rotatable elements,

said housing means being provided with sluice means forming passages forthread material running from the outside into said housing means andunto said guide elements and for thread material running from said guideelements and from the inside to the outside of said housing means, saidsluice means including means inhibiting exchange of gaseous matter atthe inside and the outside of said housing means.

2. In a machine for treating textile thread material and including meansfor drafting thread material and heated rotatable guide elements forguiding and heating thread materials:

stationary housing means surrounding said rotatable elements,

and means connected to said housing means for supplying atmosphereconditioning media to and releasing said media from said housing means.

3. In a machine for treating textile thread material and including meansfor drafting thread material and heated rotatable guide elements forguiding and heating thread material:

stationary housing means surrounding said rotatable elements,

said housing means being composed of a plurality of parts, at least oneof said parts being movable rela tive to the other parts for temporarilyopening said housing means and providing access to said rotatableelements.

4. In a machine as defined in claim 3, actuating means connected to saidmovable parts of a plurality of said housing means for simultaneouslymoving said movable parts for opening a plurality of said housing means,said actuating means including means affording individual movement ofsaid movable parts for individually moving said movable parts andopening the respective housing means.

5. In a machine for treating textile thread material and including meansfor drafting thread material and heated rotatable guide elements forguiding and heating thread material:

stationary housing means surrounding said rotatable elements,

said housing means being composed of a plurality of parts, at least oneof said parts being movable relative to the other parts for temporarilyopening said housing means and providing access to said rotatableelements,

means connected to said housing means for supplying atmosphereconditioning media to and releasing said media from said housing means,and

valve means connected to said supply means and to said movable parts forstopping supply of atmosphere conditioning media to said housing meanswhen said movable parts are moved for opening said housing means, andvice versa.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,433,842 1/1948Griffin 26-62 X 3,146,572 9/1964 Keyser 571 3,159,964 12/1964 Kretsch28-7l.3 X 3,221,385 12/1965 Stanley 28-72 MERVIN STEIN, PrimaryExaminer.

L. K. RIMRODT, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A MACHINE FOR TREATING TEXTILE THREAD MATERIAL AND INCLUDING MEANSFOR DRAFTING THREAD MATERAIL AND HEATED ROTATABLE GUID ELEMENTS FORGUIDING AND HEATING THREAD MATERIAL: STATIONARY HOUSING MEANSSURROUNDING SAID ROTATABLE ELEMENTS, SAID HOUSING MEANS BEING PROVIDEDWITH SLUICE MEANS FORMING PASSAGES FOR THREAD MATERIAL RUNNING FROM THEOUTSIDE INTO SAID HOUSING MEANS AND UNTO SAID GUIDE ELEMENTS AND FORTHREAD MATERIAL RUNNING FROM SAID GUIDE ELEMENTS AND FROM THE INSIDE TOTHE OUTSIDE